Cool Science Story Of The Day [Continuing Thread]

[eslnyaie]

The first cows brought to the Americas by explorer Christopher Columbus originated from two extinct wild beasts from India and Europe, a new genetic analysis shows.

[MBAtarga]

spammer eslnyaie reported

[Hawkeye's-911T]

‘It’s perhaps the most beautiful paper of my whole life’: U of A researchers solve puzzle that baffled scientists for decades

Just picked up on it today - hope it is legitimate
Cheers
JB

[masraum]

Scientists Make the Coldest Object on Earth
Researchers cooled a tiny aluminum drum almost to absolute zero and think they can go even further

Scientists Make the Coldest Object on Earth | Smart News | Smithsonian

[red-beard]

All you need for quantum computing at room temperature is some mothballs

https://phys.org/news/2016-07-quantum-room-temperature-mothballs.html

[GH85Carrera]

Bad Astronomy | A 3 billion solar mass black hole rockets out of a galaxy at 8 million kilometers per hour. Yes, seriously. | SyfyWire


A 3 billion solar mass black hole rockets out of a galaxy at 8 million kilometers per hour. Yes, seriously.

[kach22i]

Our human ancestors only evolved black skin after losing all their hair, study claims
Our human ancestors only evolved black skin after losing all their hair, study claims | Daily Mail Online

[kach22i]

Uncool story?

Mysterious craters blowing out of Russia could mean trouble for the whole planet
Mysterious craters blowing out of Russia could mean trouble for the whole planet

In northern Siberia, rising temperatures are causing mysterious giant craters...............

[IROC]

Something we did at my facility recently:

[Heel n Toe]

Not a story, but cool nonetheless.

ISS Interactive 3D Visualization

Usage instructions:

Drag the viewpoint with the mouse whilst holding down the left button.
Zoom in and out from the ISS using the mouse wheel.
Use the button at the bottom right of the display to enter fullscreen mode.

[kach22i]

Published September 07, 2017
Life existed on Mars, shocking discovery suggests
Life existed on Mars, shocking discovery suggests | Fox News

Scientists have found key evidence which suggests life may once have existed on Mars.

Nasa's Curiosity rover has detected boron, a key ingredient for life, on the dusty surface of the Red Planet.

The discovery is a huge boost in the hunt for extraterrestrials and could back up a theory suggesting*life*on Mars may have been forced underground*when disaster turned the planet into a "frigid desert".......................

The Space X founder has announced plans to put humans on the surface of the Red Planet by 2030.

[M.D. Holloway]

Originally Posted by kach22i

Published September 07, 2017
Life existed on Mars, shocking discovery suggests
Life existed on Mars, shocking discovery suggests | Fox News

So evidence of the 5th element suggests life? That is a stretch. Evidence of self-replicating molecules would be the only real proof (or a temple).

[Hawkeye's-911T]

Does the very noteworthy academic Giorgio A. Tsoukalos (another weird hair dude) know about this?

Cheers
JB

[kach22i]

The turbulent healing powers of plasma
September 11, 2017
https://phys.org/news/2017-09-turbulent-powers-plasma.html

Researchers are starting to discover the curing powers of plasma—bringing the ion-based form of matter into medical realms. A kind of plasma called non-equilibrium atmospheric pressure plasma can help heal wounds, destroy cancer cells and kill harmful bacteria..................

When the researchers simulated the plasma jets, they found that the electrodes in the instrument—which are needed to create the electric field that makes the plasma—generate heat. This heat spawns a sound wave that travels out through the jet and along the boundary where the plasma meets the air, a layer that's prone to be unstable. The sound wave disturbs this layer, likely triggering turbulent plumes........................

[Hawkeye's-911T]

Excuse the play on the word 'cool' but the following article is a food-for-thought sort of thing. I expect some members of the board will heap their fair share of scorn & ridicule upon this piece but I posted it as a point of interest & consideration.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/sep/09/this-is-how-your-world-could-end-climate-change-global-warming

Cheers
JB

[kach22i]

3 scientists win Nobel Prize in Physics for breakthrough gravitational waves discovery
https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/article/3-scientists-win-nobel-prize-in-physics-for-breakthrough-gravitational-waves-discovery/ar-AAsRyZF

The vibrations from the gravitational wave that was spotted back in February were smaller than the width of an atom. But now that we know for sure that they are there, they can't escape our science....................

The Nobel announcement explains why we should be so excited about this discovery:

So far all sorts of electromagnetic radiation and particles, such as cosmic rays or neutrinos, have been used to explore the universe. However, gravitational waves are direct testimony to disruptions in spacetime itself. This is something completely new and different, opening up unseen worlds. A wealth of discoveries awaits those who succeed in capturing the waves and interpreting their message.

[john70t]

Put in petrol/coal plants or near big cities. Carbon capture machine.

https://qz.com/1100221/the-worlds-first-negative-emissions-plant-has-opened-in-iceland-turning-carbon-dioxide-into-stone/?utm_source=parSA
"But what Climeworks and its competitors are showing is that, if direct air capture can be made cheap enough for there to be commercial interest, then carbon capture at point-sources will likely work, too."

[RKDinOKC]

Originally Posted by GH85Carrera

Bad Astronomy | A 3 billion solar mass black hole rockets out of a galaxy at 8 million kilometers per hour. Yes, seriously. | SyfyWire


A 3 billion solar mass black hole rockets out of a galaxy at 8 million kilometers per hour. Yes, seriously.

Was wondering where all my money went.

[john70t]

https://auto.howstuffworks.com/fuel-efficiency/vehicles/micro-lattice-metal.htm
"It can be compressed to half its volume and it'll spring right back to its original shape.

This could potentially revolutionize car manufacturing. Picture it: A car body lighter than the same design made of Styrofoam, yet able to absorb an impact and return to its proper form. Lighter cars mean less drag and better fuel efficiency, and the ability to absorb so much energy is an obvious safety plus, too. Parking lot door dings would be a thing of the past."

[kach22i]

The ride I was expecting flew right on by.

Mysterious object from deep space has entered the solar system
Mysterious object from deep space has entered the solar system | Fox News

This object is in an odd position. It’s moving very fast. And it’s in what appears to be a somewhat extreme orbit. Extreme enough not to actually be an orbit, in fact.

....................“If further observations confirm the unusual nature of this orbit, this object may be the first clear case of an interstellar comet,” the MPC declares..............

It’s not likely to ever return. It flashed past Earth at 24 million kilometres on October 14.............................

At the moment, it appears to have been somewhere in the direction of the star Vega.